as in vicious
having or showing a desire to cause someone pain or suffering for the sheer enjoyment of it
the neighborhood chatterbox has again been spreading malicious gossip
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of malicious
Another defendant, Lucy Grace Nelson, was charged in Colorado federal court on Feb. 26 with malicious destruction of property.
—
Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 20 Mar. 2025
Many of us inside and outside the Jewish community support the state of Israel as well as its right to defend itself, most especially following the Oct. 7, 2023 brutal and malicious terror attack.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 20 Mar. 2025
The United States has for decades positioned itself as a beacon of liberty, fighting to protect its citizens from corrupt governments and malicious justice systems abroad.
—Nelson Mauricio Rauda Zablah, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Mar. 2025
And so has Radio Free Asia, which is just as malicious toward China.
—Nectar Gan, CNN, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for malicious
Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 20 Mar. 2025
Many of us inside and outside the Jewish community support the state of Israel as well as its right to defend itself, most especially following the Oct. 7, 2023 brutal and malicious terror attack.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 20 Mar. 2025
The United States has for decades positioned itself as a beacon of liberty, fighting to protect its citizens from corrupt governments and malicious justice systems abroad.
—Nelson Mauricio Rauda Zablah, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Mar. 2025
And so has Radio Free Asia, which is just as malicious toward China.
—Nectar Gan, CNN, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for malicious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malicious
Adjective
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This creates a vicious cycle: more applications lead to lower acceptance rates, triggering even more applications from worried students.—
Sarah Hernholm,
Forbes,
22 Mar. 2025
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However, some people develop unhelpful habits and ways of thinking about sleep that create a vicious cycle, said Krieger, who is also director of the Center for Sleep Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Michael, in a filmed conversation with Grace, claimed that his ex-wife had manipulated him and was cruel to Natalia.—
Fortesa Latifi,
Rolling Stone,
19 Mar. 2025
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In Season 2, a cruel winter brings new challenges and unfinished business to Jacob (Harrison Ford) and Cara (Helen Mirren) back at Dutton ranch.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Except for then-Council member Dan Kalb, who suggested some remarks were crazy, not one council member rose to condemn these hateful falsehoods.—
Mark Cohen,
The Mercury News,
10 Mar. 2025
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The booing at the mention of Huizenga’s name was so hateful that an embarrassed Marino had to beg it to stop.—
Greg Cote,
Miami Herald,
10 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Interestingly, the feeling of abandonment mirrors the animating force of the nastiest parts of the American manosphere: the belief that men got left behind.—
Doreen St. Félix,
The New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2025
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The 30-year-old eked out a split decision win in a battle of women who came in on nasty losing streaks.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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On the flip side of things, Hopkins brings a malevolent gravitas to William, calling on his iconic tenure as Hannibal Lecter to play the car’s vindictive and psychopathic owner.—
Josh Weiss,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
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In that great play, part of the pleasure is teasing out when the host couple, George and Martha, are playing a malevolent prank on their guests or tearing each other apart for real.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The more spiteful Drake could smell a world of buff, misogynistic grifters taking hold and made sure to set up shop where the audience would be.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
7 Feb. 2025
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But when he’s presumed dead after a tragic run-in with a pirate ship, our heroine is forced to take up with the spiteful Prince Humperdink—that is, until a masked man in black jumps in to save her.—
Gia Yetikyel,
Vogue,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Johnston's official diagnosis was a malignant paraganglioma that had spread through her lymph nodes.—
Zoey Lyttle,
People.com,
18 Mar. 2025
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The spirit of caste is malignant and dangerous everywhere.—
Margie Burns,
The Conversation,
17 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Malicious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malicious. Accessed 28 Mar. 2025.
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